Explore Stephanie's World

Pass the Dutchie

He drove us around Lewisham stewing for information, but when Musical Youth’s ‘Pass The Duchie’came on…it all suddenly stopped. So we ‘bubbled to the riddim’ loving Dad singing and being chilled for once.

Stephanie Johnson

Pass the Dutchie is one of the songs that feature in Chapter One (Escapism) of Once Bad Intentions. London-born, second generation of Jamaican descent, characters like Richard, father of Stephanie Johnson, connected with music like Pass the Dutchie immensely.

The popular interest and feel good factor of Musical Youth’s hit number one single, Pass the Dutchie, provided, despite its political and economic references to poverty, instantaneous cultural relevance and pride to these characters. The fact that they were UK nationals perpetuated Richard’s adoration for these young artists. They shared a musical and cultural interest. They were young, gifted and black British-Caribbean, reggae artists. These adjectives combined were to be treasured throughout the eighties and early nineties, as they seldom surfaced with global recognition.